Toasted Pumpkin Seed Dip with Fresh Herbs

One of my favorites things about a good dinner party isl’apéro. It’s something that they do really well in France and my french family can sit around for hours before moving à table. It’s never rushed or hurried and I love that it gives people time to get settled in before the big meal, to get nice and cozy (and sometimes quite honestly a bit tipsy).

We’ve recently moved to a new area so we don’t have many people knocking on the door for a casual afternoon visit just yet (if you’re ever close by come say hi and we can share some snacks), but we were lucky enough to welcome a visit from some west coast friends last weekend. Matt mentioned many times that they would arriving right after a mother’s day brunch so there was no need to prep any food, but the thought of having people over and not offering them something to eat didn’t seem like something I was capable of. So I made up some snacks and set them on the table. Of course he was right and they came in saying how stuffed they were after the most elaborate Quebecois brunch. We sat in the living room and drank tea and chatted for a long time while the snacks sat alone in the dark on the kitchen table. It was when they were just about the leave that we got onto the topic of bread making and I offered up my lonely snacks, which happened to include some homemade sourdough. Suddenly we were all standing in the kitchen, laughing and chatting and eating our way through the food. I couldn’t help but smile.

All this storytelling just to say that there are two things in life I know for sure; the best moments always happen around the kitchen table, and few people can resist the taste of homemade bread. Food, you guys, it should be never be rushed and always be shared.

TOASTED PUMPKIN SEED DIP WITH FRESH HERBS

This pumpkin seed dip so much better once chilled in the fridge (min. 1 hour), so plan accordingly if you want to serve it to guests. The toasted seeds, the mint, the bright lemon – it’s everything I love about fresh spring food. You can serve it with crunchy vegetables, I like cucumber or radishes, and some toasted sourdough bread. Your favorite crackers would be delicious as well. It also makes a great spread on toast and sandwiches, as well as a creamy addition to your next salad bowl. One tasty dip, endless ways to enjoy it.

Toast pumpkin seed in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often to prevent burning. As they toast, the seeds will start to jump and crack in the pan, continue stirring until most of the seeds are a very light brown. Reduce heat if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to break it up into small pieces. Add the fresh herbs, lemon zest, salt, pepper and tahini and blend until pesto like. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon juice and water and blend until smooth – you may want to add another tablespoon of water. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

31 Comments

Thanks for sharing this recipe, I’m definitely going to try it as I have so much pumpkin seeds sitting around! And I totally love the pre-dinner snacks and drinks thing too and food always tastes so much better when shared :)

Very impressed that you make your own sourdough – has been on my to do list for FAR too long! And YES to this pumpkin seed dip! Last year I had an avocado smash with a layer of pumpkin seed hummus at a cafe which I LOVED, and later searched the internet for a pumpkin seed recipe and came up completely short. So this is literally exactly what I was looking for, and I can’t wait to give it a try! Love all the herbs, tahini and lemon juice going on as well <3

Oh I’m just imagining all those delicious layers of green goodness, Claudia! That would be so good. Pumpkin seeds + avocado is such a good match. I spent time as a baker while we were out in British Columbia and that’s when I started experimenting with sourdough at home. I fell in love with it immediately – and you definitely don’t need to have any bread experience to try! Some breads come out better than others but it’s the process that’s so fun. I’ve been thinking of starting a sourdough section on the blog so maybe that will finally give you the boost to give it a go! Thanks so much for saying hello – have a great week x

Ahh… what I would give for a balmy summer night and a little wine white and apero with you right now! I’ve been eyeing your daily lunch bowls on insta, and kept wondering what that green dip was. Love the idea of using pumpkin seeds as a chickpea alternative. Definitely giving this a go for lunches next week! YUM xx

Oh my goodness Jodi! You moved! I’m so sorry if I should have known this! I just spent some time exploring your new area online and goodness gracious do you know how to pick em. What a stunning area girlie. I hope you are loving it tons. And closer to family now too yeah? That has to be good. Love you and your appreciation for food and people, always inspiring me friend. xx

Ha! Hey Jessie! Yes indeed there is no dust on us. It is a beautiful area for sure, we are not sure how long we will be here but for the time being it is important to be close to family – however a piece of my heart will always be out west in those beautiful mountains. Soaking up spending time with family as much as I can for now! Thanks for saying hi xx

Hi Jodie! As showed on instagram, I made this amazing dip like four or five days ago and devoured it in just two days. So I had to do another batch (and of course I did). Also, do you know this makes the most amazing salad dressing ever? Today I wanted to swap the go-to olive oil and lemon juice thing and tried mixing two tablespoons of this + a tiny bit of water + few drops of more lemon juice: GOD! it was amazing, with all these herbs and so creamy without being too heavy.
Big love.
Marta

Hi Marta! I was thinking about that but I have yet to try it! Thank you so much for letting me know – I’ll have to make another batch this week – oh the creaminess. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and I really appreciate you taking the time to say hi. Have a fantastic week x

Traudl Wöhlke

October 15, 2018 at 1:41 pm

I just discovered your website, and I love it. I am foraging nearly all year round. Well, not in Dec. – Feb., because there is not enough to forage outdoors! And the recipes look and sound great too, will make them.